Ratvissepartiet Socialistern (Swedish CWI) Election results

by Finghin - Socialist Youth (CWI) Wed Sep 18, 2002 23:34

It has been said that the CWI in sweden have been ignoring the growth of fascism in that country. This could not be further from the truth. In Stockholm where we stood against the National Democrats and Swedish Democrats we organised many successfull demonstrations against those parties. The Left Party did not attend this demo and only gave verbal support. Our members have also recieved death threats from neo fascist national democrats.

The left party are a bourgeois party and do not represent workers interests in any way. I would suggest that people find out about the true nature of the Left party before they put up postings. Because to say that the Left Party are in any way an alternative shows quite obviously a persons ignorance of that party.

Parties like the left Party and the SD's are partially responsible for the rise of the far right. They are the parties that have abandoned workers and embraced neo liberalism which has left workers seeking an alternative in right wing nationalist groups. this is a European trend, LPF in Holland, BNP in the UK, Le Penn in France, People's Party in Denmark, Jorge Haider in Austria etc.

We are not reforminst by standing in elections. That is just a load of Anarchist bullshit. It has been dealt with before on previous postings.

by badman Tue Sep 17, 2002 23:39

"The Left Party are no different to mant capitalist parties!

They have supported the SDs over the years and have sold out their supporters. The CWI want to play a role in the building of mass workers' parties, we dont want to help out the parties that sold out the working class."

At least not until you're large enough to be the party that can sell out the working class.

All this "platform to express our politics" shit and not a mention of the astonishingly obvious fact that electoral success breeds strong reformist forces within any party, or do yez think that power doesn't corrupt the chosen?

As far as I can see, every 'revolutionary' party that has gone down the electoral route to power, has ended up either completely stripped of the revolutionary ideals due to the reformist pressures of incorporation into state power, or else (in a tiny minority of cases) has turned into a vicious totalitarian dictatorship. What is your secret that singles yez out from the multitude of Leninist parties that have been falling off the same cliff like a pack of lemmings for almost 90 year? Why are yez different?

So CWI supporters, please explain to me why youse aren't going to gradually become another bunch of professional mediators selling me down the river for a place at the table. That's what every single electoralist political party in history has done (as long as the electoralism is succesful), no matter how revolutionary the lingo. It's an old joke, so what's the new twist that'll make me laugh?

by OK - SP Tue Sep 17, 2002 15:49

The Left Party are no different to mant capitalist parties!

They have supported the SDs over the years and have sold out their supporters. The CWI want to play a role in the building of mass workers' parties, we dont want to help out the parties that sold out the working class.

There is a rise in the right. This is partially due to the lack of mass workers' parties capable of offering an alternative.

by Hahaha Tue Sep 17, 2002 12:16

You keep saying that, and the right continue to rise, but you're too busy fighting the "left" to notice the growth in fascism.....

Plus, the Left Party aren't members of your little CWI cult, so they're obviously not deserving of your support.

by Finghin Tue Sep 17, 2002 10:53

Thanks for your congratulations for the RS. But I would not congratulate the Left Party. They like the SD's have totally sold out their supporters. In councils all around Sweden they are in coalition with the SD and are implimenting savage cutbacks and attacks on living standards. The election was in fact a bad one for the Left Party. The lost seats in Parliament and were hammered in the councils. I think Parsson (SD Prime Minister) was right when he said that 'We are the same on most issues, we just differ on Europe'. The Left Party offer no real alternative for the Swedish people and despite the radical rhetoric are nothing more than Social Democrats

by Pietro Ingrao Tue Sep 17, 2002 00:55

There was a time when De Rossa would have at least been congratulating the Left Party rather than the Social Democrats on these results. Obviously his sell-out has been fairly thorough.

Congratulations to the comrades in the Left Party and the RS.

by anarcho Mon Sep 16, 2002 22:15 anarcho at geocities dot com

Here we go again. We've been here before, over a
hundred years ago. Back then the revolutionary marxists went by the name "social democrats" and
promised that using elections would advance socialism. It only advanced reformism and saved
capitalism from numerous revolutions.

As Bakunin predicted, of course. But why let your
political ideas be influenced by trying to learn the lessons of history, eh? No, lets just get on with repeating the same tactics that produced such good results last time...

by hs - sp Mon Sep 16, 2002 19:48

Elections aren't everything and it won't bring about the overthrow of captialism by next week but its definitely a start. The comrades in Sweden will use their positions just like Joe Higgins and Clare Daly have done hear, not to replace social struggle but to be a voice for it.
And it is the beginning of a small european wide movement with elected representitives in Britain, Holland, Ireland and Sweden. That can't be all bad.

Heres a report:

Swedish comrades win three new council seats!
Members of the CWI in Sweden have added a new local council seat to
the two
already held in Umeå and have come from having no seats to winning
two in
the town of Luleå. The full results of the 15 September poll (the
local,
regional and national elections take place on the same day in Sweden)
will
not be known for a few days, as postal votes and overseas votes are
yet to
be counted.
In Umeå, comrades polled 4.6% (an increase of 1.2% from the last local
elections in 1998), securing 2,948 votes.
The party won 1497 votes in Luleå, or 3.3%, up from 608 votes in
1998, an
increase of 2%. This is a reward for the consistent work local
members have
conducted in Luleå over the last few years. In one district of the
town we
received 968 votes, a huge jump from the 119 won in 1998. In another
district, the comrades came out as the biggest polling party,
including
beating the social democrats.
On a national level, the social democrats have won the elections. The
main
conservative party performed very badly, losing up to a third of its
votes.
The Left Party lost votes to the social democrats as a result of its
having
failed to live up to the hopes of disillusioned social democrat
voters.
In a warning to the workers' movement, the far-right and racist
parties have
been able to make some headway. The largest racist party increased its
council representation from 8 councillors in 5 councils to 36
councillors in
20 councils.
More details will be circulated over the next few days.
Markus,
Stockholm.

by Labour Mon Sep 16, 2002 18:30

STATEMENT BY PROINSIAS DE ROSSA MEP
President of the Labour Party
MEP for Dublin
Monday, 16 September, 2002

DE ROSSA WELCOMES "TIMELY" RESULT IN SWEDISH ELECTION

Dublin Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa today congratulated the Swedish Social
Democrats on their return to power following their General Election victory.
Hoping for similar outcomes for the Left in upcoming polls in Germany, Greece,
and Austria, Mr De Rossa said this result could "halt the rise of the right
throughout Europe."

"This result is welcome and extremely timely. The Swedish Social Democrats are
an example to the rest of Europe that the values of inclusion, equality, and
respect for difference should be at the forefront of any government agenda.

"It is vital that that the positive and constructive approach to issues such as
asylum that Mr Persson's party advocate be replicated by other social democratic
parties. Here in Ireland, we have already seen elements of the No-side in the
Nice debate espouse xenophobic sentiments on such matters. It is up to the Left
to ensure that such attitudes do not spread.

"This victory for the Left has raised the spirits of socialists throughout the
EU. I look forward to more celebrations in European capitals in the coming
months."

by swede Mon Sep 16, 2002 16:32

"It is a breakthrough and will mean that Socialism has a greater platform in Lulea and Umea and in rest of Sweden."

Well,apparently not as big of a plattform as the openly rascist party.

by aunty party Mon Sep 16, 2002 16:03

of course you would say it's a great victory for socialism, "OK".

quit being a party-line-cult-hack, you sound like an swp-er. what would u be expected to say, i think that this result is terrible?

so the swedish party are affiliated with the cwi. big deal. should all the irish sp members come online and clap each other on the back? no. then don't say anything unless you've got something worthwhile to say.

by OK - SP Mon Sep 16, 2002 15:12

The fact is that Ratvissepartiet Socialisterna are a small party. The CWI do not accept donations from big business we rely on donations and subscriptions from members, supporters etc.

Winning 5 seats in the elections is a great victory. It is a breakthrough and will mean that Socialism has a greater platform in Lulea and Umea and in rest of Sweden.

In Fingal in North Dublin we won 2 seats in last local elections. That was a great success. We are not as big as FG or FF in Fingal, but we are undoubtedly seen as a real alternative and a real challenge to the corrupt cronys in these parties in Fingal.

by swede Mon Sep 16, 2002 15:05

yeah,well,meanwhile the openly rascist party "sverigedemokraterna" got several seats in 15 (!!)local parlaments!

Its pretty embaressing for the left when you look at it from that perspective.So dont celebrate too much. :(

by OK - Socialist Party Mon Sep 16, 2002 14:34

RS has won 2 seats in Lulea. Congrats to Jonas Brännberg and Liv Gustavsson Rhodin on their election. Also congratulations to the RS on the 3 seats won in Umea.

I'm sure that they and the rest of the comrades in Lulea, Umea and throughout Sweden will continue to campaign on all the issues that matter to the youth and workers of Sweden.

for a detailed breakdown of the results go to
http://www.val.se/valnatt/25K/2580/2580.html

Have a look at the Lulea 14 constituency where the RS are the biggest party.

by db - db for left unity Mon Sep 16, 2002 13:57

Congratulations to the CWI on there success in Sweden.

by Ray Mon Sep 16, 2002 09:27

...will be posted as comments to this article, rather than entirely new articles, right?